Vehicle-reach.



"' ELF" M. R. HULL.

VEHICLE REACH.

APPLIOATION FILED SEP-'1.28, 1908.

937,940. Patented Oct. 26, 1909.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.-

MATTHEW R. HULL, 0F GONNERSVILLE, INDIANA, ASSIGNOB TO REX BUGGYCOMPANY, OF CONNERSVILLE, INDIANA, A CORPORATION OF INDIANA.

VEHICLE-REACH.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented 0 1;, 26, 1909,

Application filed September 28, 1908. Serial No.'455,045.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MATTHEW R. HUL a citizen of the United States,residing at Connersville, in the county of Fayette and State of Indiana,have invented certain new an useful Improvements in Vehicle-Reaches, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in the construction of reachesfor vehicles, and the object of the invention is to supply the necessarystrength and resiliency to the inferior' grade of wood which it isnecessary at this day to use because of the scarcity of other timber.

The object also is to supplement the wood in a manner that will relievethe fifth-wheel from constant vibration and concussion which tends tocrystallize the metal and cause it to break.

I accomplish the objects of the invention by the mechanism illustratedin the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is a view in perspectiveof the front and rear axles of a vehicle connected with my improvedreach, the view showing the parts in reverse or upside-down position, inorder to expose more clearly the reinforc ing rods. Fig. 2 is a crosssection of one member of the reach on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3is a detail in plan of one of the metal reinforcing rods.

Like characters of reference indicate like parts throughout the severalviews of the drawing.

4 is a front axle and 5 a rear axle of a vehicle of usual construction,6 the fifthwheel having rearward strap extensions 6 in pairs for theattachment of a reach, and 7 a pair of elliptic springs.

S are the two members of the reach, which are connected at their forwardends with the fifth-wheel 6 and at their opposite or rear ends to a rearreach strap 5 on the rear axle 5.

9 represents my reinforcing rod, the major middle length of which ispreferably round, oval or angular iron, in cross section, and the endsof which are flattened and provided with bolt holes for the passage ofbolts 10 by which the rods 9 are secured at their ends to the woodenmembers of the reach the rear ends are bent to form a shoulder 9 to bearagainst the end of the wooden members. These wooden members of the reachare grooved longitudinally to receive the body portions 9 of thereach-rods, 9 are additionally secured to the wood members by clips 12and 13. The clips 13 serve also for securing the diagonal brace-rods 1ato the respective members of the reach. As.

shown in Fig. 2 the clip bars 15 are notched to receive the rods 9 inorder to better hold the position of said rods and toprevent'displacement of the clips.

The rods 9 are preferably constructed from spring steel and they supplythe and the rods.

strength that is present in first class hickory reaches but which isabsent in the inferior wood which vehicle builders are compelled to use,on account of the scarcity of timber.

supplemented with both strap and channel steel, but in both of such usesthe fifth wheel with which the reinforcing metal was connected wasrendered useless and dangerous by crystallization of its molecularstructure by the constant vibration and pounding transmitted to it. comeby my construction.

Having thus fully described my invention what I claim as new and wish tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

In a vehicle, a fifth wheel having extensions in pairs for theattachment thereto of a reach, a rear axle, a rear reach strap, a reachcomprising a wooden top member having a longitudinal under side grooveand a steel reinforcing rod in said groove said rod having its endsflattened and perforated, the rear flattened portion being bent acrossthe end of the wooden reach member, the

reach, other clips uniting the wood and 1 I am aware that wooden reacheshave been This objection .is overmetal reach members, and bolts securingboth Wood and metal members of the reach to both members of the pair ofsaid fifth Wheel extensions at one end of the reach and 5 to the rearreach strap at the other end of the reach.

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto set

